Wildfires, flooding, Fiona expected to cost HRM over $20 million

HALIFAX, N.S. — A recently released report shows the cost of recent weather disasters is expected to cost Halifax Regional Municipality at least $20 million.

At the audit and finance standing committee Wednesday, staff will present a request to move money around to cover the costs of cleaning up after recent weather events.

So far, the wildfires in May-June, flooding in July and post-tropical storm Fiona last September have cost the municipality about $10 million but are expected to land at over $20 million, although the “final cost is still settling.”

The breakdown of preliminary cost estimates includes:

• Post-tropical storm Fiona: $4.4 million 
• Wildfire: $13.7 million 
• Flooding: $2.4 million 

The Insurance Bureau of Canada stated the Tantallon wildfires that burned from May 28-June 4 caused $165 million in insured damage. And they consider Fiona, which struck as a post-tropical storm on Sept. 24, 2022, as one of the costliest storms ever to hit the region with $660 million in insured damage. There is no report yet on the total insurable damage from the flooding that struck Nova Scotia in July.

A $25-million account

The report prepared by Tyler Higgins, HRM’s manager of budget and reserves, suggests HRM move $15 million into the risk and resiliency reserve and give permission to withdraw up to $25 million to spend on remediation and replacement costs related to these “emergency and disaster events.”

“Over the course of the last year, we have seen unprecedented weather and emergency events throughout the municipality,” Higgins wrote. “Wildfires, hurricanes and flooding rarely seen in the region have caused damage to the municipality’s assets and required a significant emergency operational response.”

So far, these events have cost the HRM about $10 million with more costs to be determined, including major road work. That’s why staff are asking for $25 million to be available in the account.

Some money may be recovered

The money in the reserve will cover costs from damaged buildings, roads, vehicles as well as staff overtime and “extraordinary operating expenditures.” One of the significant cost is for fencing — $10 million — but Higgins wrote that it will eventually be recovered and any funding received from provincial and federal government relief programs will be directed into the risk and resiliency reserve. 

“While some of these costs may be recovered either through insurance or provincial disaster assistance claims, those funds are not expected to be received for a significant period of time,” Higgins wrote.

The committee will vote on the request on Wednesday and, if approved, it will be forwarded onto Halifax regional council.